


Paper Crown

by CrystalizedCherry



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Bianca is not dead, Fluff, High School AU, M/M, Modern AU, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Will plays the violin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-26
Updated: 2017-04-12
Packaged: 2018-09-20 00:19:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9467084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrystalizedCherry/pseuds/CrystalizedCherry
Summary: Nico meets a blonde from his school in Starbucks when said blonde sits in front of him because his laptop needs charging. Romance ensues. ON HIATUS





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everybody! I got this idea from Pinterest where one person's laptop in your OTP needs to be charged while working on a school project, and the other is sitting near the outlet. This is my first time trying to write a fanfic with multiple chapters, so I'm sorry if it seems unnatural! Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. It all belongs to Rick Riordan. I only own this fic.

Nico sipped his coffee and sighed contentedly. He tapped the surface of the polished table before typing another paragraph of his school essay when there was a sudden crash at the table three seats next to him.

"No, no, no! How can this be? I thought I charged it!" he heard before somebody rushed over to his spot in the corner.

Nico looked up and saw a guy with wavy blonde hair, sky blue eyes and a black laptop not unlike his own standing before him.

"Can I sit here?" he asked with a panicked expression, gesturing to the seat before him, which was facing Nico.

Nico raised his eyebrows and nodded. The other guy hurriedly plugged his computer into the outlet, sat down, and began typing furiously on his laptop.  
Nico stared at the blonde, his brows furrowed. He looked familiar… maybe they were in the same school?

The boy in front of him started humming a song that Nico had heard many times.

"That's Paper Crown, isn't it?" Nico asked.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, it is. You've heard of it?" he said, looking surprised.

"Orchestra at my school is practicing that song," Nico replied.

"Do you go to Goode?" he asked, a blonde eyebrow raised.

That expression looks good on him, Nico thought before he realized what he was doing.

"Y-yeah! I'm Nico, by the way," he said. Smooth, di Angelo. Smooth.

"I'm Will. Nice to meet you," Will replied before resuming his destruction of his keyboard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico accidently sees Will naked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Here is the second chapter, enjoy ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. I only own this fic.

"I'm home!" Will shut the door behind him, muffling the sounds of thunder. Nobody expected that it would rain – the weather was perfectly nice when he was still in Starbucks.

"Will! You're just in time for pizza!" his father called from the kitchen. Will grabbed five slices of cheese pizza, stacked it on a paper plate, and sprinted upstairs to his room. He still hadn't finished his school project – he had spent almost five hours chatting with Nico after finding out they had some common interests, and his grade was going to suffer if he didn't hurry.

Suddenly, there was a ping from the pocket of his hoodie.

_4:19 PM – Shut up Jason, it's nothing like that_

_4:19 PM – Besides, we just met_

Will frowned. Maybe Nico texted the wrong person?

**_4:20 PM – ?_ **

_**4:20 PM - I think you texted the wrong person** _

_4:20 PM – Crap_

_4:20 PM – Yeah, I meant that for another person_

_4:21 PM – Sorry_

**_4:22 PM – I understand, I do that all the time lol_ **

Will sighed and opened his laptop. The screen lit up with a familiar logo – a bright, yellow sun with orange and red accents. As he continued to work on his project, his mind drifted to the Italian boy he met this morning. Will had saw Nico a few times in the hallway in passing periods, but he had never really noticed him because Nico always kept his head down and walked fast.

He has really long eyelashes, he thought absentmindedly as he typed away.

 An hour later, Will's project was finally finished and ready to turn in. It had taken forever to reach the specified page count, and he was glad to be done with it. Will stretched and checked the time on his phone, which showed 5:42 PM. He threw the paper plate away and decided to take a hot shower to release the tension in his muscles. As he toweled himself dry, he heard his phone ring. Will walked outside and pressed the green "answer" button without thinking, assuming that it was either Cecil, who didn't mind seeing his best friend naked, or Lou Ellen, who had seen everything he had and more.

"What? FaceTime? Oh! I'm sorry, I accidently pressed-"

Will screamed and threw his phone across the room, where it hit the wall and fell to the floor with a thud.

"S-solace, what the hell are you doing naked?" Nico's voice said, sounding shocked.

"Um! Wait a sec," Will called out while throwing a yellow t-shirt and sweatpants before retrieving his phone. He had not anticipated this when he exchanged numbers with Nico.

"Sorry, I just got out of the shower and I thought you were one of my friends," Will said sheepishly, his face red.

"Are we not friends?" Nico asked with a hurt look on his face.

"I-I didn't mean that! I just thought you were Cecil or somebody!" Will exclaimed quickly.

Nico laughed, the sound making Will's heart skip a beat.

"I was just teasing," he said, smirking.

The blush that had just left Will's face came back again. "A-anyways, I n-need to go, my dad's calling me," he stuttered.

"Mhm. See you at school, Sunshine," Nico said before hanging up.

Will felt his heart stutter again as Nico used the nickname Cecil made up. How did _he_ know what his friends called him? "What the hell is wrong with me lately?" he groaned as he flopped onto the bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't write romance ;-; Thanks for reading, and leave a comment please if you liked it! Have a wonderful week :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will invites Nico to the concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there again! Here is the third chapter of this story. I got stuck on how fast the romance should go, so the next chapter might come out slower. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. I only own this fic.

" _NICO!"_

Nico sighed as his sister Bianca's desperate cry rang out. He walked to her room where she was trying to merge with the wall.

"There! Do you see it?" she asked frantically while pointing at the doors of her closet. There was a huge spider on it crawling toward the contents of her closet.

"Bianca, it's not hurting you," Nico said exasperatedly.

"I don't care! Just take it out! _Please!"_ Bianca said.

Nico shook his head as he took a tissue, picked up the spider, and disposed of it in the trashcan.

"Thank you!" Bianca hugged her little brother, ruffling his hair.

Nico grumbled even though he secretly loved it. He walked back into his room and checked his phone for a message from Will.

It had become a routine now – he had grown attached to the blonde after several nights of staying up to text him.

_**7:26 PM – Death Boy.** _

_7:26 PM – Sunshine._

_**7:27 PM – I wanted to ask you something** _

_**7:27 PM – Are you coming to our performance this weekend?** _

Nico frowned. Performance?

_7:27 PM – You perform?_

_**7:28 PM – You know** _

_**7:28 PM – Orchestra** _

_7:28 PM – Ohhhhh_

Nico face-palmed mentally. Of course Will performed, why didn't he remember?

_7:29 PM – I'll think about it_

_**7:30 PM – Come on, Death Boy** _

_**7:30 PM – I know you want to come see me perform** _

Nico blushed furiously. He did want to see Will perform – he was curious at what instrument he played.

_No, you want to see Will again,_ his mind thought.

_Shut up,_ Nico grumbled internally.

_7:32 PM – Fine, I'll go_

_**7:32 PM – Yay! I'll pick you up at 5 tomorrow night?** _

_7:33 PM – What, like a date?_

Nico mentally slapped himself. Why did he just write that? Now Will would think that Nico wanted a date, which _he did not want, thank you very much._

_**7:34 PM – Sure, you can think of it as a date if you want ;)** _

Nico blushed again and groaned. Solace could be so _insufferable_ sometimes.

_7:35 PM – Fine._

_**7:35 PM – K. Don't be late!** _

Nico put down his phone just as Bianca poked her head in.

"What are you doing, little brother?" she asked, walking to the bed where he laid.

"Nothing," he mumbled.

"Really? Your face is red," Bianca replied, smirking. "Did you agree to go on a date with someone?"

Nico turned redder and threw a pillow at his older sister.

"Ooh! Who is it? How does he look like? Is he nice?" she asked eagerly, leaning forward.

"First of all, it's not a date. I'm just going to see his music performance," Nico grumbled.

"How are you going to get there? Is dad taking you?" Bianca raised an eyebrow.

"He's going to pick me up tomorrow," said Nico.

Bianca gasped and clapped her hands excitedly.

"My little brother's got a boyfriend!" she shouted, prancing around the room.

Nico covered his face, smiling. He was glad that Hades and Bianca had accepted the fact that he was gay so quickly. Hades had grunted in agreement and Bianca shrugged, saying it didn't matter who her little brother liked as long as she approved.

He was quite looking forward to Saturday.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think of this chapter? Is the romance too fast? Here, Bianca never died because I love her and I felt like it would benefit the story somehow if Nico had someone to tease him about his developing relationship with Will. Please comment, and thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will "runs into" his ex at the concert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! This chapter took me some time to write, as I had writers block, but I think I finally found a way to end this chapter. 
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. I only own this fic.

"Honestly, Will, it looks fine."

Lou Ellen sighed, crossing her arms with a stern expression on her face. Will tugged at his tie, feeling like the formal attire was strangling him.

"Will, I know you're nervous about not playing well. However, you need to effing _calm yourself-_ Will, what time are you picking up your boyfriend?" Lou Ellen asked, her brow creased.

Will checked his phone, which showed 4:47 PM.

"Crap! I completely forgot the time!" he shouted, shooting to his feet.

Grabbing his car keys, Will checked his violin one last time before running out the door, shouting a goodbye to Apollo and Lou Ellen.

Will raced down the steps to the driveway, hurriedly inputting Nico's address into his GPS and feeling a wave of relief at the fact that Nico's house was only five minutes away.

As he pulled up to Nico's house, Will sent a brief text telling Nico he arrived. His palms started to get sweaty, and his stomach was full of butterflies. He didn't even know why he was so nervous.

Suddenly, his phone rang. Will's hand spent a few seconds rummaging through his pocket before his hand closed on his phone.

"Solace. Are you going to open the door or am I going to stand out here in the cold for three hours?" Nico's voice rang out, sounding a bit annoyed before hanging up.

Will looked to his window and sure enough, Nico was standing there.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you," he said sheepishly, unlocking the car doors.

When he turned on the lights, Will's brain short-circuited and his mouth fell open.

Nico di Angelo was wearing a _tuxedo._

"What are you looking at, Solace?" Nico scowled, though his cheeks were a bit pink.

Will forced himself to look away and close his mouth.

"N-nothing. Are you ready?" he stuttered, his eyes glued on the road.

Nico grunted and pulled out his phone.

Will pulled up to the school where they were performing. He saw a head of short ginger hair with a bright green streak, which turned out to be Kayla.

"Will! Is that Death boy?" she called, grinning.

Nico turned to look at Will, raising an eyebrow.

"He talks about you all the time," said another voice, laughing.

Austin appeared next to Kayla, straightening his tie.

Will ignored them, his cheeks burning.

"Stop glaring, Will! You were the one who told us," said Austin, smiling cheekily.

"What is going on here?" asked Nico, looking bewildered.

"N-nothing," said Will, clearing his throat and glaring at the pair.

"Will! Is that boy the young man you're always talking about?"

Chiron, their music teacher, walked out from behind the stage.

Will wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole.

"You talk about me?" Nico asked, his eyebrows almost disappearing into his hair.

"No, I don't. Their just teasing. A-anyways, what should we do right now?" asked Will, his cheeks on fire.

Suddenly, an all too familiar and very unwelcome voice sounded through the room.

"Will? Is that _you?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? Is the dialogue unnatural or awkward? Who do you think is the unwelcome person? Comments are great motivation and are greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading and have a nice day!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and his ex get into an argument.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! I felt like this chapter was really stiff and awkward as I can't seem to get the dialogue right (I suck at writing arguments) but here is the final product.

Nico turned around to find the source of the voice.

It belonged to an Asian girl who was wearing a black dress that reached just above her knees. Her glossy black hair was curled into ringlets, and her brown eyes seemed to be criticizing what they were wearing.

Will groaned beside him. He ruffled his already messy hair, sighing.

"Will? Do you know her?" Nico whispered.

She seemed vaguely familiar, and as the smell of nutmeg and pine reached his nose, he was sure who she was.

"It's Drew Tanaka," said Will, sighing again.

"Will, hon? Is that you?" Drew called out, walking towards them.

"Drew, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at home doing your makeup or something?" Kayla asked, scrunching her nose.

"I wasn't talking to you, Kylie. I was talking to Will," Drew rolled her eyes.

"Drew. Why are you here?" Will asked, crossing his arms.

"You don't want me here?" said Drew, mock-hurt settling on her face.

"No, I don't. Not after that incident," said Will coldly.

"Drew dumped Will after finding out he was bi," Austin whispered to Nico.

Nico's brain processed this information slowly. Drew was Will's _ex?_

"Will, hon, you know I didn't mean it. It was just a surprise to me," said Drew.

"Look, Drew. I'm not interested in you anymore. Not after you called me a faggot and telling everybody," said Will, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Sweetie, I really didn't mean it. Shouldn't you at least consider-"

"He just said he wasn't interested," said Nico, clenching his fists.

Drew turned to him, her expression disgusted as she took in his appearance.

"And who are _you?_ Another gay interested in stealing my Will from me?" she asked, sniffing.

"First of all, I am _not_ yours. Second of all, will you please just _leave me alone_ and continue your life? What is wrong with you?" Will exclaimed, finally angry.

Drew looked at Will with a shocked expression on her face. It seemed like she hadn't been expecting Will to reject her so blatantly.

"Fine, have it your way. Just don't come running back to me when you realize you've lost your chance!" she finally said, walking away.

Nico turned to Will.

"That is one hell of an ex you have."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not really much interacting between Will and Nico here. I originally wanted Will to defend Nico (or vice versa) and start the romance, but I felt like that would be too early and would come off as forced. What do you guys think? Do you have advice for writing conflict? Thanks for reading, and have a great day!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Will is done playing, Bianca asks an unexpected (but not necessarily unwelcome!) question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Here is the sixth chapter of this fic. I feel like this is getting boring, so I'm really sorry if it is! Please enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. I only own this fic.

Will looked at the crowd of people that had gathered in the auditorium. His "run-in" with Drew had done nothing to help his nerves. He scratched his head and started taking deep breaths.

"Will!"

It was Lou Ellen, followed by his dad. Lou Ellen had chosen to wear her hair in a bun, the bright purple streak clearly visible in her brown hair. Apollo wore a suit, which made him look a little awkward.

"Are you nervous?" Apollo asked, grinning.

"Very," Will replied.

"You can do it, I know you can," said Lou Ellen, smiling.

"Lou! Will! How're you doing, buddy?" asked Cecil, running up the stage. His tie was slightly crooked, which Lou Ellen straightened.

He pounded Will on the back, grinned, and ran off the stage with Lou Ellen, yelling about finding good seats.

Apollo ruffled Will's hair and walked away. Will searched for Nico – he seemed to have disappeared for a while after the encounter with Drew.

 _I didn't plan on telling him I was gay like that_ he thought, frustrated. What if Nico started avoiding him? That would be a disaster.

Suddenly, he found the Italian. He was talking to two girls who were both dark haired, and both were hugging him.

Will felt a pang of jealousy, then immediately got confused and angry. Why was he jealous, and more importantly, _why_ was he jealous?

"Staring at your boyfriend?" asked a teasing voice.

Will jumped, startled. It was Lacy, the pianist.

"He's not my boyfriend," he said, blushing as he registered what Lacy had just said.

"Not yet, you mean," she said, smiling.

Will frowned as Lacy walked away. Did he have feelings for Nico? He certainly talked and thought about him a lot, and talking to him was always one of the highlights of his day.

Will resolved to talk to Piper about this. She was an expert on this topic, and Will always went to her for advice for this kind of stuff.

"Will, it's almost time to start!" Chiron called.

He hurriedly walked over to where the group was and took his position. The lights dimmed, and the audience quieted.

The first few notes rang out, clear and sweet. Soon, everybody was playing the song, and the audience was entranced.

Will lost himself in playing the violin. Everything seemed to fade – there was only him, the violin, and the music left. He felt none of the nerves h earlier felt, only a sense of peace and calm.

The song ended much too soon. The audience gave a standing ovation, and Will bowed. As they descended the stage, Lou Ellen, Cecil, Apollo, and Nico were waiting for him.

"That was amazing!" Lou Ellen and Cecil hugged him.

"You were great, son," said Apollo, patting him on the back.

"Thanks guys," said Will, grinning.

"You should've seen this guy's face," Cecil said teasingly, glancing at Nico. "He was definitely checking you out."

"I just liked the music," said Nico, scowling, though his cheeks were faintly pink.

"It's okay if you like me. I'm very likeable," said Will.

 _Crap, why did I just say that?_ he thought immediately, mentally slapping himself.

"Keep dreaming, Solace," said Nico, smirking.

Will had the sudden urge to kiss the smirk off Nico's face, which was quite inappropriate considering the time and place.

"Nico! We have to g-"

The girl who had been hugging Nico gasped.

"Are you Will?"

Will stared at her before processing her question.

"Y-yes. Can I help you?" he asked, flustered.

"Are you my brother's boyfriend?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's it! Thank you for reading, comments and kudos at greatly appreciated :) Have a great day!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bianca helps Nico get ready for his date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! This chapter seems to be longer, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Thank you all for your reviews, they really made my day ^^
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. I only own this fic.

Nico froze. His brain seemed to have short-circuited.

"U-uh, what? C-can you ask that again?" Will stammered.

"Are you my brother's boyfriend?" Bianca asked again.

Will gaped at his sister, dumbfounded.

"No! We're j-just friends!" Nico shouted, his brain finally processing just what Bianca was asking Will.

"Are you sure?" Lou Ellen asked, squinting.

"Yes! We're sure!" said Will, nodding quickly.

Bianca looked disappointed.

"Well, what's keeping you guys from dating?" she asked.

"I-"

Nico was cut off by Cecil's voice.

"I know. Why don't you two go on a date together tomorrow?" he said, snapping his fingers. "There's a really café that has really great snacks and coffee ten minutes from here."

"That's perfect!" Bianca exclaimed.

Nico and Will gaped as they decided the time for them to meet up.

"Guys-"

"Bianca, you have my phone number right? Tell me how it goes!" Lou Ellen shouted as she practically dragged Will away.

"I will!" Bianca shouted back as she did the same to her brother.

* * *

 "You know, that Will guy is really cute," Bianca said as she drove Nico home.

"You had no right to decide that we were going on a date," Nico grumbled, though he felt… happy? Excited?

"If you guys weren't going to do it, we were," his sister replied matter-of-factly. "You also just admitted that it was a date."

Nico blushed. Had he said that?

* * *

 The next morning, Bianca pulled the shades open, letting the bright sunlight spill into the room.

"Wake up little brother! You are _not_ going to be late for your first date, not under my watch!" she shouted.

Nico groaned and pulled the covers higher. _Maybe she'll leave me alone if I pretend to sleep,_ he thought.

No such luck. Bianca pulled the covers right off the bed and slapped Nico.

"Ow! What was that for?" he shouted, rubbing his cheeks.

"We have to pick out an outfit for you!" she said, rummaging through his closet.

"What I usually wear if perfectly fine," mumbled Nico sleepily.

"Do you have no-? I'm going to go see if Dad has anything presentable," Bianca said, running out of the room.

Nico groaned again. It was far too early for this, but he didn't seem to be able to get out of this situation.

"Here!"

Bianca ran back into the room, holding a black and white diamond sweater.

"Here," she said, throwing it onto the bed.

She started going through his closet again, throwing clothes everywhere.

"Bianca. What are you doing?" Nico asked exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Looking for pants," she said, almost buried in a pile of black clothes.

"Aha! These are perfect," she said, holding up a pair of black skinny jeans.

Nico raised an eyebrow at his sister.

"Change," Bianca demanded.

She turned around to face the door as Nico quickly stripped himself of his pajamas.

Nico looked at himself in the full-length mirror Bianca had got.

"What do you think?" she asked triumphantly.

"It looks nice," he grudgingly admitted, turning around.

"Your Converse sneakers would go perfectly with that. My job is done," Bianca stated dramatically.

Nico smiled and shook his head at his sister's antics. He picked up his phone to see some texts from Will.

_**10:31 AM – Your sister is crazy** _

_**10:31 AM – Why does she think we're dating?** _

Nico blushed a little at the mention.

_10:32 AM – Your friends are crazy too_

_10:32 AM – Besides, is dating me so bad?_

_**10:32 AM – I didn't mean that!** _

_**10:33 AM – It's just that** _

_**10:33 AM – I don't know** _

_**10:33 AM – We only met, like, two weeks ago** _

Nico's heart sank a little at Will's words. It was true that they had only known each other for about two weeks. So why did his heartbeat always speed up when he saw Will? Why did he feel so nervous around him?

_**10:35 AM – Nico?** _

_**10:35 AM – Oh my gods you're not angry are you?** _

_**10:36 AM – I'm sorry for saying that** _

_10:36 AM – I'm not mad_

_10:36 AM – Are you still going then?_

Nico waited anxiously for Will's answer. Although he agreed that Bianca was insane, he was still excited to see Will.

_**10:37 AM – Of course I am** _

_**10:38 AM – Do you want me to drive you again?** _

Nico hesitated for a moment. He _did_ want to spend more time with Will, but he was scared of an awkward car ride.

_10:38 AM – Sure_

_**10:39 AM – Great! I'll pick you up at 11:30 then** _

Nico did a little happy dance around his room, only to have Bianca come in the middle of it.

"I knew you'd be happy that you're going on a date with your to-be boyfriend, but I didn't know you would be _that_ happy," she said, laughing.

Nico threw a pillow at her and started a pillow fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you liked this chapter. If you have any writing tips, I would be happy to hear them ^^ Have a great weekend!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will and Nico arrive at the cafe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. I only own this fic.

Will waited anxiously for Nico to come out of the house. He swallowed hard and checked the time again, feeling impatient. He was about to text Nico again when his own phone rang.

_**11:19 AM – Will, are you ready for your date?** _

_**11:19 AM – Lou Ellen? What the hell?** _

_**11:20 AM – Oh, is Zombie Boy there already?** _

_**11:20 AM – I'll give you guys some alone time ;)** _

_**11:20 AM – I want ALL the juicy details later!** _

Will stared at his phone, speechless, before turning a bright shade of red. Planning to tell his friend off for her dirty mind later, he checked the door one last time and froze.

Nico was walking toward him with a hesitant expression on his face, running his hands through his black hair, his skinny jeans hugging every curve of his b-

Will cleared his throat loudly and averted his eyes from the Italian's rather attractive bottom, the blush on his face darkening almost comically.

He unlocked the doors, Nico sliding into the seat. Will had to resist the urge to tuck the strand of hair covering his eyes behind his ears.

"You going to drive?" Nico asked, raising an eyebrow.

W ill flushed again and started driving. Why was he so damn nervous anyways?

_Because you likeeeee him,_ his traitorous mind smirking.

Will slapped himself internally. It wasn't possible to fall for someone so quickly, was it?

He swerved quickly to avoid a cat that he hadn't seen.

Nico touched his shoulder, looking concerned.

"Will, are you okay? You're acting weird," he said, frowning.

"I-I'm fine! Just a l-little nervous, that's all," Will said, laughing nervously.

Nico sighed but let it go, and the trip went by smoothly after that.

* * *

 

The café was quaint and cozy, with ambient lighting and comfortable plush chairs. A waiter with curly brown hair came to take their order.

"Hello, may I- Nico? Is that you?"

"Hazel? I didn't know you worked here!" Nico said, his face lighting up.

Will felt a stab of jealousy, though he quickly squashed the feeling.

"A friend of mine runs the café and she was kind enough to let me work here. Now, is this young man your date?" she asked, smiling.

"W-what? No, o-of course not!" Nico said, turning red.

"I see. I'm Hazel, Nico's half-sister. It's nice to meet you!" said Hazel, turning to Will.

"N-nice to meet you too," Will replied, feeling relieved. She seemed like a nice person to him.

"Now, what would you like?" she asked, pulling out a notepad and a pen.

Will flipped through the menu on the table. He was in for something sweet, and a strawberry cheesecake caught his eye. He ordered a chocolate milkshake with the cheesecake.

"Mhm. Nico?"

"Chocolate tiramisu," Nico said.

"You don't want anything to drink? That's unusual for you," Hazel said, raising an eyebrow.

"Nah, I'll drink Sunshine's milkshake," Nico replied, waving a hand. "That's okay with you, right?"

"S-sure," Will replied, flustered. Why was he so goddamn _nervous?_

Suddenly, a voice called out.

"Neeks!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment if you liked it, thank you for reading! :)


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter on Nico and Will's "date."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. I only own this fic.

**Sorry for the wait! This chapter was hard to write ._. It's also shorter than usual, so I apologize.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. I only own this fic.** _

* * *

Nico froze before turning around and sighing at the familiar voice.

"Percy, what are you doing here?" Nick asked, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"C'mon Neeks, that's no way greet your older brother, is it, Jason?" Percy replied, pouting.

 _Oh great, Jason's here too. He's going to kill me for not telling him about the date,_ Nico thought.

"Nico, why didn't you tell me that you were going on a date with Will today?!" Jason asked, looking heartbroken like the drama queen he was.

"Because you would've gone crazy and insisted that I show up in a limo and tuxedo or something," Nico muttered.

Nico saw Will looking slightly bewildered, so he signed again and introduced the idiots that were his cousins.

"Seaweed Brain here is Percy, and the blonde Superman is Jason," he said, pointing at each one as he said their names.

"H-hello," Will said, laughing nervously.

Percy glared at him before holding his hand out for a handshake, which Will shook rather hesitantly.

"Now would you guys _please_ leave and let me enjoy my date with Will in peace?" Nico said, irritated.

Percy gaped at Nico before Jason pulled him away, winking at Nico.

Nico glared at their retreating backs before his phone buzzed.

_11:37 AM – So you DO admit it's a date?!_

Nico frowned. He admitted that-

He turned crimson as he remembered what he had said to Jason and Percy as he told them to leave.

_11:38 AM – Shut up Jason_

_11:38 AM - I just chose to refer to this meeting as a date_

Nico tucked his phone away and willed his face to turn to its normal shade.

"Jason and Percy are your brothers?" Will asked, sipping his milkshake.

"Their my cousins, actually, they just like to refer to themselves as my brother," Nico replied.

"Hmm… I've always wondered what it's like to have a sibling," Will pondered.

* * *

Will dropped Nico off at his house.

"Uh… thanks for taking me to the café," Nico said, staring at the ground.

"Yeah… I-I had a really great time," Will replied, smiling nervously.

"So… um, see you at school?" Nico asked, finally looking at Will.

"Yeah! See you!" Will said, grinning.

Nico blushed and went back to his house, Will's smile burned into his mind.

* * *

**And that is it! Please review if you enjoyed, it means a lot to me :)**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it, it means a lot to me ^^


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will struggles on whether he should express his feelings to Nico or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own PJO or its characters. I only own this fic.

"How did it go, bro?"

Will winced as Cecil and Lou Ellen leaned in eagerly.

"Er… it was… nice?"

"What do you mean by 'nice?' Did you guys kiss? Have you asked him out yet?" Lou Ellen asked excitedly.

"Um… no and no, although I would like to," Will replied nervously.

"Then why haven't you asked him out yet?" Lou Ellen threw her arms up dramatically and huffed.

"What am I supposed to say? 'Oh, hi there Nico, I like you a lot and I think we were meant for each other?'" Will asked exasperatedly.

"Actually, that's a pretty good speech," Cecil replied, looking thoughtful.

Will sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Is he even gay?"

"Oh honey, Nico di Angelo is gay as hell. You don't know?" Lou Ellen said.

"He-he is? I didn't know that," Will said stupidly.

"What are you waiting for? Ask him out this weekend again and tell him!" Cecil exclaimed, punching Will on the arm.

Will squirmed. He really, _really_ liked Nico, but if Nico didn't feel the same way, Will didn't want to ruin the friendship between them.

"I'll think about it," Will muttered.

* * *

"What are you waiting for? Tell him!"

Will winced, looking at his phone. He had called Piper for advice after Lou Ellen and Cecil had gone home. It was a well-known fact that Piper was the person to go to for relationship advice. She always knew when two people liked each other and whether they were compatible or not.

"What if he doesn't like me? I don't want to ruin this friendship between us," Will said worriedly.

"Psh. I'm telling you, that boy definitely has a crush on you. Have you seen his face when he's talking to you? He checks his phone every three minutes to see if you've texted him when he's out with us!" Piper said.

Will was confused at Piper's last statement before he remembered Nico was Piper's friend too.

"So? Are you gonna ask him out?" Piper asked, bringing him back to reality.

"I guess I better," Will said, sighing.

"Great! I have to go, I have a date to go on with Jason tonight. Good luck on asking Nico out!"

Will glanced at his phone a while longer, thinking about how he was going to approach Nico.

"All right. Operation Death Boy commence!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, comments mean a lot to me ^^


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